This invention relates to a sign for indicating to a prospective user of a coin-operated machine that the machine is inoperative. The sign locks into the coin slot, thereby ensuring that a user of the machine will not accidentally fail to notice the warning.
Coin-operated machines are used for many purposes, including dispensing food items such as candy, fruit, and gum, drinks such as carbonated beverages and coffee, and for various gaming devices such as slot machines. These machines occasionally malfunction, refusing to accept coins or to dispense the desired product or service. The frequency of inoperability of slot machines is particularly high, because of the large volume of coins which are fed into the machine in a relatively short period of time. These machines also have relatively sophisticated accept/reject mechanisms, which must differentiate between coins of different denominations and counterfeit coins, and which require very sensitive calibrations; therefore, although breakdowns may be relatively easy to repair, the frequency is high.
When a coin-operated machine breaks down, it is not uncommon for the person who finds the inoperable condition to tape a piece of paper to the machine indicating that it is out of order. Alternatively, someone may simply place a piece of adhesive tape over the coin slot, thereby indicating to a subsequent user that a problem exists with the machine. In casinos which contain a large number of coin-operated devices, the casino may have preprinted signs indicating that a machine is out of order that attendants may apply to the machine when a problem is found. In all of these cases, the signs are easily removed, are unsightly, and may not be sufficiently obvious to one who wishes to use the machine to prevent oversight.
The present invention consists of a sign bearing the words "OUT OF ORDER", or a similar warning, which may be inserted in the coin slot of a coin-operated machine in such a manner as to prevent insertion of coins into the slot. The sign also contemplates locking means to prevent removal of the sign by someone who attempts to lift the sign from the slot.
Accordingly, it is an object of the invention to provide a sign displaying an inoperative condition of a coin machine which fits into the coin slot of the machine, thereby preventing insertion of a coin in the slot. It is a further object of the invention to provide a sign which cannot be removed from the coin slot by lifting the sign, and yet is easily removed from the slot by someone who understands the construction of the sign. These and other objects of the invention will be apparent from the following description of a preferred embodiment thereof.